Betrayal
by Half an Inch
Summary: When an especially horrific mission leaves Alex Rider injured, he needs all the help he can get - weather he wants it or not.
1. Chapter 1

Mrs. Tulip Jones of MI6 barged into the heads office, out of breath. "Alan…" she began.

Alan Blunt, head of MI6, looked up, a little more than annoyed at the noisy entrance. "What is it Mrs. Jones?" he asked, setting his pen on top of the file he was reading. "We have a problem." She paused. Blunt scowled. "Well, are you stopping for suspense, or is that all I need to know? Go on," he growled.

Mrs. Jones opened her mouth to speak when the door smashed open. The receptionist, a lady by the name of Sara, burst in. "Sir, we have a mole in the building," she blurted, cheeks flushed. Blunts head whipped around to glare at Mrs. Jones. "What?" he spat. "Why wasn't I informed about this?"

Jones crossed her arms. "Well, I was _going_ to tell you, if you would _let_ me," she sniped back. Blunt sighed. This was one stressful day. One of his agents, Parker, had gone MIA, and the "gas-leak" explosion in downtown was not helping. "Thank you for informing me," blunt called to the receptionist in a clipped tone. "You're dismissed." The woman nodded meekly and shut the door softly behind her.

Blunt rubbed his forehead. When he looked up, his emotionless mask was back in place. Blunts mask rarely cracked, but when it did, it was only for a short amount of time. "Okay," he said, composed. "Proceed." Jones made a sound close to a huff. "_As I was saying, _our sources informed us that there was a mole in the building." Blunt nodded. This was Britain's top-secret intelligence agency_._ A mole here and there was to be expected.

"Do you have any idea on who it is?" Mrs. Jones shook her head. "We don't know _exactly _who it is, but I can tell you he's very high up on the ladder." "What do you purpose we do?" Mrs. Jones took a deep breath.

"Alan, I know you might not approve, but I think we should assign agents to Ale Rider. You know. Protection detail."

Blunt looked up sharply. "Rider? Why?"

"Well, Al- _Rider _has made quite a lot of enemies in the underworld. They may be out to get him. I think we-," Blunt cut her off by saying, "Agent Rider is _quite _safe, Mrs. Jones." Jones raised an eyebrow. "Safe? And please, pray tell where he is?"

Blunt smiled cruelly. "Why, in Santa Domingo." Jones stepped back. "Where in the world is that?" she wondered aloud. Blunt chuckled. "In the Dominican Republic, of course."


	2. Chapter 2

16 year old Alex Rider sighed as he adjusted his tie. Blunt had barely batted an eye at Alex when he had shipped him of to the Dominican Republic, the bastard. Now, Alex was standing in front of a mirror, in an expensive villa, looking quite elegant in a black button down shirt, suit and tie. A Rolex glinted dangerously on his wrist.

Despite this, Alex refused to comb his blonde hair, opting to run a hand through it; successfully messing it up. He had a meeting with one of the suspects at a fancy French restaurant. Alex had snorted then but Blunt didn't want to hear it.

While driving in his sleek silver Jaguar, Alex ran through his mental arsenal. Gun, check. Knife, check. Grenade, check. The restaurant was actually pretty nice. Ivy snaked its way up the brick wall. Couples dressed in expensive gowns and suits wormed their way against the crowd. Alex walked into the restaurant, and ran as skilled eye over the array of tables, chairs, and customers.

Something wasn't right. Alex didn't know how he knew but it was just a feeling. He had the same feelings before things went seriously downhill. Spotting a young man in his twenties, his target, he walked over, shaking all thoughts from his head. Alex put on his best poker face and sat down across from the man.

Hathor, without looking up, said,"You have to try the coq au vin." Alex stopped a waiter and ordered a simple meal of salad and light champagne. His client raised an eyebrow at hearing the boys young voice.

"Aren't you too young to drink?" Alex raised his glass and took a delicate sip."Oops. Am I?" The man shook his head in disbelief. "So, did MI6 find any evidence against me?" Okay. So he knew he was being watched. Alex decided that there was no point in lying. With a thought of _what the hell_?, he spoke.

"No. I just wasted my entire spring break for nothing," he replied, moodily stabbing at his salad. Alex looked through his fringe to check for the mans reaction. There was no outward surprise except for a small tug of his lips. He was amused, Alex realized. He finds me amusing. He filed that information away for later.

"Well," Hathor began "I'm pretty sure their search will be in vain." Alex couldn't help but agree. He'd been watching Hathor for way more than a week. In fact, it had almost been a month and not a single suspicious thing had happened except for when his son had dumped his trash on the neighbors yard.

"I'll be leaving," he said standing, and offering his hand to Alex. "It was a pleasure meeting you." Alex stood as well and shook Hathors hand. Looking deep in to his eyes, looking desperately for evidence that would prove him guilty, he replied with a simple "Likewise."

Hathor threw a fifty dollar bill on the table despite the meal not costing more than ten. With a low chuckle, he walked confidently out the door. Alex sent a disgusted look at his champagne. Laws be damned, he thought and drowned his glass.

While making his way out the restaurant, the sense that something was seriously wrong hit him full force.

Innocently looking for any potential threats or snipers, he sighed. He was paranoid. There was no one there. Grimacing, Alex left the restaurant. Now he could finally go home and sleep somewhere that wasn't a bush or the ground. Maybe yell at Blunt on the way.

Deep in thought, he never saw the masked man that snuck up on him. Hitting Alex on the butt of his gun, the teen fell unconscious.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hey guys! (And girls.) I won't do any gruesome torture in this chapter but there might be in the next couple of chapters (by that I mean the next fifteen or so chapters) . I want to thank all who reviewed/followed/put this story on alert and what not. :) You guys really boost my confidence. Review if I should add more of/change anything.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Alex Rider.

When Alex woke, he had one hell of a headache. From the bumpy ground, he figured he was in a car. A van by the size.

Opening his eyes, he saw six men clad in black outfits and cradling AKs. One of the men, Parker, kneeled down next to where Alex lay bound on the floor. Firmly planting a hand on Alex's chin, he raised his head to meet his eyes. Alex stubbornly refused to bore into the mans cool eyes.

Annoyed at his reaction, Parker drew his hand back and punched Alex square in the face. Alex, helpless on the floor, could do nothing but absolve the impact from the rather hard hit.

"Alex Rider. Pleasure meeting you. It's great to have you here," he drawled. Alex glared venomously at his captor. "Its horrible being here. In your presence I mean ." He sneered.

Parker looked ready to hit Alex again, but another man muttered "James. Lay off him. He'll get enough punishment for his actions at base."

Alex, now armed with the information that they couldn't harm him-for now- spat in the mans face. This time, Parker really did hit him. Alex winced as his ring teared the skin on his cheek. He didn't stop there.

A few minutes later, and Alex was supporting a split lip and two severely bruised ribs. The ride lasted about thirty minutes. When they reached their destination, he was painfully pushed to his feet and forced to get out of the car.

After walking about one fifths a mile, Alex saw his chance. He saw an opening and shoving past the guards, ran towards freedom. The men, too shell-shocked to respond, just watched him escape. Parker was the first to recover.

"What are you doing? Don't let him get away! Shoot him!" He ordered his men. Recovering, they followed the boy into the woods.

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Alex ran faster than ever before. He had to get away. He had to escape. Unconsciously, his thoughts drifted on to who this new group was. It couldn't be Scorpia. They promised to leave him alone!

Suddenly, a blinding, white hot searing pain embedded itself deep down underneath Alex's knee. With a pained cry, he collapsed into a heap on the soft earth. Another bullet grazed deeply into the right side of his torso. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

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The Rider kid turned out to be one hell of a character, Smith thought as he hunted him down in the woods. He found him not too far from the group.

The kid looked like hell. Blood completely covered his right knee and the side of his chest. Smith winced. He had a feeling that the kid, Rider, would have a permanent limp from the impact of the bullet shattering the bone.

Crouching down, he picked the teen up, bridal-style, and carried him back to the group.

"Tie him up," Parker ordered when Smith came in sight. Grabbing a pair of handcuffs, he cuffed Riders hands tightly.

Slinging him over his shoulder, they made the slow journey back.

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Alex woke feeling like killing himself. It hurt to breathe. He tried to sit up, but an intense pain in his side caused him to fall back down again.

Laying there, breathing heavily, Alex wondered why he couldn't feel his right leg. He moved it cautiously, and the resulting pain was so great that he blacked out for a few seconds. Gasping in pain, Alex struggled to sit up.

Finally,-albeit painfully- he sat up, leaning heavily on the rough brick wall, gulping in lungful of air. Because of the intense haze of pain he was in, Alex didn't notice when the door slammed open. Two of the guards pulled him to his feet and dragged him across the hallway.

They walked into a small room. Everything was white. From the floor to the ceiling to the walls. Everything was white and it hurt Alex's eyes. The guards threw him in and chained him to the wall and left, shutting the door loudly behind them.

Moments later, Parker walked in. He had a sadistic look in his eyes and he was smirking cruelly. "Hey, Rider," he mocked, as he bent down to Alex's eye level.

"Here's what's gonna happen," he began, pressing his finger into a bruise on Alex's face.

"We want two things. Answers and favors. And since I'm not stingy," Parker stood ,"I don't care which." Pacing around the cell, he said, "You know what? Let me improvise." Rounding on Alex, he snarled, "Actually. I am stingy. Really stingy, and honestly? I want both answers and favors. So let me rephrase that: What do you want do first? Give me answers or do me a favor?"

Alex just watched calmly with a raised eyebrow. Parker growled and speared him twice in the gut. "Well?" He asked impatiently. Alex, to busy breathing heavily through his cracked ribs, just shook his head weakly.

Parker gave him a swift kick in the chest and growled,"I'll give you time to think about it."

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Parker came back around fifteen minutes later, if Alex's internal clock was anything to go by. He looked calmer. Alex himself hadn't done anything except lay on the floor. His eyes were closed. But Parker knew he was awake.

Alex hadn't heard the door open. Parker got his attention by pressing a boot heavily on Alex's bullet wound near his knee. His eyes flew open, panic hazing over his eyes.

Parker looked pleased and removed his shoe. "Good. You're awake. Did you decide?"

Alex lifted his head. "Yeah. I did. I'll do you a favor. But only one. None dies." Parker smiled." I'm sorry to say, but you don't make the demands here. I do. And I say that you're going to do all my dirty work until we run out. Then, I'll drag you back here and wring the answers I wanted right out of you."

Alex looked blankly at the wall, a helpless expression on his face. MI6 wouldn't look for him. He knew that for a fact. Point Blanc and the Snakehead mission proved that. For once Alex he had no way out. He would need a miracle to escape.

Alex's missions were simple. First, he had to bomb the building downtown. Alex didn't find anything special about it. After, he had to rob a bank. Not that bank. A real one. Then, he had to bug The Royal and General. And finally, he had to kill someone. They hadn't told him who it was, but it was a soul nonetheless.

After gearing up, Smith and two other guards drove Alex to the his second destination; the bank.

He slipped a black ski mask on and put his finger on the trigger. Walking up the stairs confidently, he bust open the doors and walked in.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Kyle Jefferson was having the worst day ever. And then he just had to go to this bank at this time.

He was currently having an argument match with the receptionist about his account balance. Right when things couldn't get any worse, a man with his face covered with a mask and a M16 burst in.

Kyle groaned. Great. " Everyone on the floor with their hands behind their heads! I don't won't to hurt anyone!" Yeah right, Kyle thought while slowly lowering himself to the ground. The gun man then preceded to walk towards the receptionist. Unfortunately, it was the same lady who he was arguing with. She looked at Kyle with wide, pleading eyes.

The robber calmly followed the women's line of sight. Before he could turn away, he locked eyes with Kyle.

Many things passed through the stealers eyes. Only a few emotions that Kyle could actually read. He saw anger, annoyance, and... Fear? Now that he thought about, the man did look kinda familiar. Before Kyle could comprehend what was going on, the thief did something that surprised him very much... He ran.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Kyle didn't hesitate. His army training kicked in as he pursued the soon-to-be thief down a hallway in the bank.

He was kinda surprised when he found the man just a few yards from where he started running.

Without faltering, Kyle tackled the culprit to the ground.

He cursed twice. Once in English, and once in Arabic. Kyle raised an eyebrow.

"Wolf! Get off me! You have to help me!" He yelled.

Kyle froze. Wolf? Only his.. He was interrupted by a watery sounding cough. He reached down and pulled the thief's mask of. A head of windblown blonde hair... It couldn't be. "Cub?"


	4. Chapter 4

This story is after Scorpia Rising but Alex doesn't live with the Pleasures and Blunt doesn't leave.I just wanted to remind you to review. This is my first fanfic, so I don't know what is it you guys like to read. It doesn't have to be a compliment. Anything you would like me to change. P.S: Is my writing style ok? Sorry it took so long to post. I was in Monterey and the "five-star" hotel didn't have wi-fi. Enjoy!

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"Cub?" Kyle asked, shocked.

"Wolf. I'll explain later. Just," another cough, "Get. Off. Me." Wolf frowned. "Are you okay?" "No. Wolf my leg..."

Wolf looked down at the teens leg. It was covered in blood but no shots were fired. His frown deepened. "What happened?" Alex looked panicked.

"Wolf. I don't have time to explain. Just get off." Wolf didn't budge. Alex coughed into his sleeve.

They both caught side of the blood staining the crook of the boys elbow. Said boy looked up, alarmed. "Wolf..."

Kyle ignored him, instead opting to kneel next to the boy. "Are any of your ribs broken?" Alex was about to answer, when Wolf pressed onto the teens rib. Alex hissed. "What happened to you?" He asked, shocked.

"Look, Wolf. Long story short. I got captured and the captors had me do all these little tasks. Wolf. You have to help me."

Just then, a bullet shot rang out. Alex and Wolf shared a look. Run. Wolf turned to run, but he remembered Alex.

"Wolf! Help me up." He mumbled. Turning around, he slung a hand over Alex's shoulder. Alex couldn't hold back a surprised yelp when Wolfs fingers found his other wound. Wolf narrowed his eyes.

"Just how badly are you injured?" "Wolf. We don't have time for this! We have to leave!" Alex stressed.

Wolf promptly dragged Alex out the back door of the bank. All but throwing him in the car, Wolf removed his side arm and returned the favor of shooting at his perusers.

Alex passed out on the passenger seat of Wolfs car.

Sending a worried glance in his direction, he shot at the men. Sure, he didn't like the kid, but he had worked with him once, and then he disappeared for two years only to show up robbing a bank. Not to mention all bloody and injured.

With a cry of defeat, the last gun man went down. Wolf, with a grim expression, jumped into the car and gunned down on the gas pedal, all while calling the head of MI6.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"It's been two weeks since you sent him on that... Mission. You have to send a retrieval team." Mrs. Jones advised the head calmly.

Blunt looked up. "Agent Rider can take of himself. He's perfectly fine." Jones looked furious. "No, he's probably in the-"

She was interrupted by the phone screaming its shrill cry. "Pick it up." Jones ordered Blunt.

In return, he raised an eyebrow, but picked up the phone nonetheless. "Blunt."

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"Blunt," Wolf heard over the line. "Yeah, this is squadron commander K-unit, Wolf. Code 34637958315. I have a situation. S***."He cursed as the gunmen returned fire.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

"S***," Blunt heard Wolfs cursing and a hail of gunfire. "What is it, Commander?" He asked impatiently.

"I have your agent. Alex 'Cub' Rider." Somewhere in the background, he heard someone mutter," Thank God!"

Wolf continued. "He's injured. I'm taking him to the local hospital." Blunt scowled. "No can do, Commander. Bring him to St. Dominic's."

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

St. Dominic's? Was this guy crazy?

"Sir, that's in a different continent." Wolf replied patiently.

" As your superior, I order you to bring Agent Rider on British soil. If that's not possible I'll send an agent to complete the task. Clear?"

"Crystal," He ground out. "How do you purpose we get there?"

"I'll send a helicopter. I want him back here in less than twelve hours. Understand?"

Wolf sent a worried look towards the unconscious boy. He needed a hospital now. He put a hand on Alex's forehead. He was burning up.

Despite that, he replied with a, "Understood."

/

_ St. Dominic's 3:47 AM London, Britain

Wolf was awakened by a women walking into the hospital room. Mrs. Jones, he recalled. "Is he okay?" She asked with a worried expression on her face.

"What you mean by 'okay'?" Wolf asked her. She gave him a disbelieving look. "Ok. Let me rephrase that. How bad is he?" Wolf sighed.

"Three of his ribs are cracked. His knee got hit by a bullet. He's gonna need crutches for around a month. The bullet wound to his side caught infection, and his left shoulder is dislocated."

The women didn't look surprised. She nodded a quick apology and left without saying a word.

Turning his attention back to Alex, he was surprised to see him awake. "Damn," he cursed in shock. Alex raised an eyebrow. "Sorry. How are you?"

Alex shifted, then winced as it pulled at his stitches. "I fell like hell." Wolf nodded. "I could relate."

They lapsed into awkward silence, until Alex broke it. The question took him completely by surprise.

"Hows Eagle and Snake?" Recovering, he quickly answered. "We're not in the same unit anymore. That was just for training purposes. I'm still leader of K, but I do more MI6 stuff these days. We're still friends, though. We keep in touch, and all."

Alex mauled over the answer in his head. "Why're you here anyway?" Wolf looked at him sulkily. "MI6 told me not to leave your side. You know, until things cool down a bit." Alex nodded.

"So what happens to me now?" Wolf sent him an unreadable look. "Blunt got you a guardian. Said its someone you knew. Ring a bell?"

He thought hard. Not coming up with anything, he turned back to Wolf. "So. Who is it?" "I honestly have no idea."

Alex wasn't expecting Wolf to know. "I wonder who it is..." Alex heard as his eyes slipped shut against his will. Wolf, noticing Alex was sleepy, shut up and settled back in his chair.

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"You let him get away?" Parker growled at Jackson, one of the guards who escorted Alex yesterday. Jackson shifted,"Well sir. I didn't let him get away. He kinda...escaped."

Parker sighed and massaged his temple. "Get him back. I don't care how, but hire a professional. I don't trust you idiots with anything now."

The guards shared a look. "A professional?" One of them asked." Yes a professional! Or is that too much for you douchebags? I can always get someone else..." Parker scowled.

Jackson answered, hastily," No! No! We..we can do that!" Parker nodded approvingly. "Good. Do you have anyone in mind?"

The other guard smiled cruelly. "Do I? As a matter of fact, I do."

Parker perked up." Who?"

"Scorpia."

Parker smiled. "Yes. Scorpia will be perfect. I want the boy here in two weeks time."

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The doctor glared at the young boy who lay in front of him. "Mr. Rider. With your injuries, you should stay in bed and rest for another two weeks!"

Alex wouldn't back down. "Sir. I've been cooped up here for precisely thirty- eight hours and twenty seven minutes! I feel like a disabled grandma!"

The doctor, Forest, smiled. "I'll see what I can do," he said and left. Alex sighed and lay back down on his pillow. He winced as it jarred his newly re-set shoulder. He couldn't wait to get out of here.

A moment later, Wolf walked in. He threw Alex's civilian at him. "Gear up." He called. While Wolf was grabbing Alex's crutches, the teen had a thought.

"Hey, I was wondering. Why were you in the Dominican Republic anyways?" He gave Alex a look.

"I live there." They lapsed in silence, before Alex opened his mouth. "My dad's British," Wolf answered, anticipating Alex's question. Alex nodded.

He swung his feet over the side of the bed. As he put pressure on his injured foot, it gave out. Before he could hit the floor, strong but gentle hands held him up. "Thanks," Alex muttered.

Wolf nodded and wordlessly handed Alex him his crutch. Tucking one under his uninjured hand, he painfully made his way to the loo.

Changing into a black shirt and jeans, he caught sight of himself in the mirror. He looked like hell. His fair skin was paler than usual. The bruise on his cheek and cut running down his face wasn't helping.

Alex walked out. "Think fast," Wolf called out. Alex reached out a hand to grab at the leather jacket Wolf threw at him. "It's going to be cold out."

An instant wave of warmth came over him as he shrugged on the jacket. "Where we headed?" He asked as he awkwardly balanced on one crutch.

"MI6," Wolf answered absentmindedly, while he scanning the horizon out the window."They want to debrief you on the mission and introduce you to your guardian."

"I guess this is where we part ways?" Wolf turned away from the window. "I'll drive you to H.Q, but that's where your new guardian will take over your custody. The sergeant called. Since I'm already in Britain, I decided to cut my leave short." "Oh, and the doctor said you should stay off you feet for at least three days."

Alex made a face. "You mean a wheelchair?" Wolf nodded apologetically. Alex grumbled as he sat down heavily on it. He had to admit, it was a relief to get his weight of his foot. Wolf searched Alex's face.

"Ready?" Alex nodded and together they made their way to the elevator. After Wolf had signed Alex out, they walked to the car MI6 had provided. It was a black, nondescript, McLaren P1.

Alex grinned, "Sweet."

"Tell me about it," Wolf muttered as he ran a hand on the leather seats. He helped Alex into the car. Wolf started the car and they made their way to MI6. -

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"-And then we drove here. " Alex was telling Alan Blunt and Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones nodded while Blunt stayed as emotionless as ever.

"Your guardian will be here any minute." Right on cue, the door opened and a young man in his early twenties walked in. He had black, shaggy, windblown hair and green eyes and was fairly tall at 5' 9". He looked slightly familiar but Alex couldn't quite place from where. The man extended a hand to Alex.

"Zachary Del Rio." In return, the teen frowned. "Alex Rider."

"Well, now that everything's settled, you can go if you wish." Zach looked over at Alex. Said boy nodded in return. They quietly made their way to Zach's car, another McLaren. This one was red instead of black.

Alex considered asking Zach for a hand, but vetoed against it. He squeezed into the car and Zach's shoved his keys in the ignition.

They drove in silence, until it became unbearable for Alex.

"Look. I don't want to be rude or anything, but MI6 said I would know my guardian. I flicked through every person I met, but I still don't know who you are."

Zach frowned, and abruptly stopped the car. He stuck out his hand and said, " Well. I guess we should reintroduce ourselves. Zach Del Rio, but you can call me Tiger."

Like a punch to his face, Alex remembered where he saw Tiger from. He was the leader one of the units training along with K. Fox and Tiger had been good friends, and transferred to MI6 roughly at the same time.

Alex hid back a smirk and shook the mans hand firmly. "Cub." Zach nodded, as though satisfied and they drove the rest of the way without incident.

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**AN**:Who saw that coming? Is everyone ok with that( tiger being guardian)? I just think someone from K unit taking custody is overused, and I wanted my story to be original.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Just to clear things up. Tiger is not in the books. Thought you guys might like a change. Review and tell me what you think. If you have any idea about what to write about, just tell me.**

**If you have some ideas about the story, don't be afraid to tell me! Now that's cleared up, Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

* * *

They hadn't been driving very long when a large, Victorian house came into view. Alex craned his neck to see better.

Zach quickly stole a glance at Alex. "It's my place," he said, probably seeing Alex face. In response, Alex just nodded in understanding.

"Need any help?" He asked as he saw Alex struggling. In return, Alex smiled. "Thanks."

He extended his arm out. Alex clasped on to it firmly, and climbed out of the car. He walked up a stone path to a red painted door.

"Nice place." He commented, as Zach inserted a key into the doorknob. He pushed open the door and walked in.

Alex followed.

The inside was even grander than the outside. Two staircases snaked their way to the top story. A glittering chandelier hung from the rather high ceiling.

Zach threw his keys in a tray on the table and hung his jacket up on a coat rack by the door.

The floor was polished marble and it made it difficult to maneuver the crutches for Alex.

Zach helped him in to the sitting room. Alex collapsed in a chair. "You alright?" Tiger asked with a worried expression on his face.

He hadn't known the kid long, but his warm, chocolate eyes and blonde shaggy hair were enough to charm almost anyone.

Alex screwed his eyes shut. "I will be after I take some painkillers. "

Zach nodded. "Stay here," he said and disappeared through one of the many doors.

Alex took that time to scan his surroundings. There were five ceiling-length bookshelves against the farthest wall. A large Persian rug took up most of the floor. There was a large wood desk on one corner of he room. A suit of armor stood on the right side of the large French door.

Zach came back in yielding a glass of water and two pills. Alex popped them in his mouth and downed the water.

They sat there for around thirty minutes in silence.

"Better now?" Zach asked after a while. Alex nodded. "A little." Zach helped Alex stand.

"I'll show you to your room. Get some rest. I'll stir up some dinner."

* * *

Two minutes later found the two of them standing in a large room on the second story.

Three of the walls were painted white. The other was painted with a large black motif. There was a large black spread on the bed and a fuzzy carpet to match. Black curtains failed to do their job as sunlight streamed through the window.

The rest of the floor area was occupied by a wardrobe and dresser that matched the color of the hardwood floor.

"So, what is this? Like, a guest room?" Alex asked as he inspected two large black-and-white posters.

"Yeah. I guess you could say that. For...unexpected guests," Zach answered lazily from where he was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Get some rest," he yelled over his shoulder as he retreated back downstairs.

* * *

"Wow. You actually know how to cook," Alex commented as he leaned against the counter top.

Zach calmly continued chopping up a cucumber, though inside, his heart was beating like crazy."Yeah. As a matter of fact, I do. Didn't hear you coming."

Alex shrugged. He pushed himself off the counter with his uninjured arm and asked Zach if he needed help.

He answered in a negative but said that if Alex really felt like helping he could set the table.

He showed him where the cutlery was placed. Alex set the plates and cups and tried to make small talk with Zach. Key word 'tried'.

"So. Where do you go to school?"

"Brooklands. Or, I used to."

Silence.

"What's your favorite...color?"

"Blue."

Another pause.

"Where do-" Zach began but Alex cut him off.

"You haven't done this before, have you?"

Zach shook his head.

Some more silence.

"I think the foods burning."

"Dammit!"

* * *

Zach had managed to salvage the food by scraping off the burnt parts (which weren't much).

Dinner was eaten in silence. When they were finished, they cleaned the dishes together. Or Zach cleaned the dishes while Alex tried to help.

"Alex... Please. Go sit down. I got it." Zach protested as Alex lifted a sponge.

Alex frowned and set the sponge down. "You're making me feel bloody useless Let me do something!"

Zach just smirked and kindly told Alex to 'get the hell out of here.'

Said boy did so, grumbling while hopping on his crutches to the sitting room. He heard his caretakers faint call of, 'make yourself at home.'

_Home_, Alex thought ironically. _Yeah right._

Zach seemed like a nice enough person, but, to face the facts, he barely knew the man. If he could do so, he would go up to Blunt and tell him that he didn't know Tiger. Rather, he knew _of_ him. He would calmly state that there was a huge difference. Then, he would take a gun, and shoot Blunt in the brain...

Alex shook his head. Like that was going to happen. He settled down. A moment later, Zach walked in, drying his hands on a towel.

He sat down across from the boy on a comfy-looking chair.

"So," he began, "What year are you in?"

Alex smirked.

"2014."

Zach rolled his eyes. "Jones told me you already finished your schooling so you won't be going to school."

Alex answered the question disinterestedly. "Yeah. For once, Jones wasn't lying. MI6 got me tutor to cover everything I missed. Since we had time, we decided it wouldn't hurt to keep on going with my study's."

"_Alex. You're a genius! If you like, we can get you a degree, too, if you want."_

Alex had been all up for the idea, but at that moment, MI6 whisked him away to some place near Canada. When he came back, there were no signs of the man who had once been his tutor.

Alex hadn't noticed how much time had passed while he was daydreaming. Zach had lapsed in silence.

Zach spoke, startling Alex out of his stupor. "Look. I've been wondering..."

The teen in question looked at the man warily.

"What happened to your older guardian? You're too young to live by yourself."

Alex's face closed off. "Shes gone," he said in a nonchalant manner.

Zach cast his eyes downward. "I'm sorry for your loss." They sat together watching the flames flicker as the rain pounded harder outside.

* * *

"Whoa. You're up," Zach commented, surprised. He was positive teenagers liked to sleep in. At least, he himself had. He walked over and flicked on the light. The was storm was still pounding outside. The clock read 3:37 A.M and a teenage boy was sitting, doubled over on the counter.

"You okay? I thought teenagers were supposed to speep in late," He asked as he placed a glass of water next to him. Alex looked up and Zach got a clear view of his face. He looked tired with dark bags underneath his eyes.

"I'm fine. Couldn't sleep."

Lie.

He couldn't tell Zach about his nightmares

_Blood, gunfire, go-_

Alex shook his head. Instead, he turned to Zach. "Why're you up?"

In response, the older man shrugged as he pulled himself on to the granite top next to his ward. "I'm a spy." He said in a way of explanation.

Finally, the awkwardness became too much for the young spy.

"I really should get some sleep." The boy muttered as he hopped the table.

"You're not using crutches." Zach stated rather than asked.

Alex just smile cheekily and calmly held up a certain finger. Zach grinned at the boys steadily retreating back.

That was not what he was expecting when MI6 came knocking at his door.

A really whiny, bratty, teenager? Maybe.

This mature-beyond-his-age youth? No.

Despite that, he kinda enjoyed having him around. Kept him on his toes. Zach smiled. Things were looking up.

* * *

As Zach descended down the stairs, he vaguely heard someone talking on the phone.

_Alex_, his sleep muddled brain supplied. Zach shoved a pot of water into the coffee pot.* While he waited for the pot to boil, he causally leaned over the breakfast bar.

"Who are you talking to?" He asked. The boy looked up from where he lay sprawled on the couch. "Tom. Friend of mine." Was the blunt answer. He went back to arguing on who would win the football match.

"Chelsea is going to _kill_ Liverpool." He was saying.

Zach shook his head and transferred his coffee to a mug, even though he still didn't know who Tom was.

He popped two pieces of toast into the toaster and listened to alex useless banter with one ear.

The boy looked up and said, "Hey, Zach?"

His guardian grunted in response.

Alex took that as a cue and continued. "Tom invited me over."

Zach looked up from the newspaper he was reading.

"Who, where and when?"

A sigh escaped the boys lips. "Tom Harris? Sixteen years of age? Male? British citizen? As for the when and where, at the park across the street. Wednesday. After school."

Zach nodded. He didn't think it would be safe for Alex to go out. But the kid deserved a break. _I'll just send someone to tail him, he thought._

"When will you be back?"

"Uh.. I'll try to be back around.. five?" Alex said, and the paused. "-Ish." He added.

The elder man smiled and went back to his newspaper. "Just give me a mobile number and your free to go."

Alex was in the middle of expressing his gratitude when the phone rang.

He answered it. The boys face broke into a grin.

"For the millionth time, Tom. Liverpool is going _down_!"

Zach laughed as he saw the teenager limp upstairs to argue in peace.

* * *

**A/N: How's it going? ( I meant to ask how the story was going.)**

**Do you think Alex is being too open? I just think that is he acts really OOC when he acts all 'rebellious teenager' and ignores his guardian and says "classified" to every question, even if it's not a threat to national security.**

**I am, after all, trying to make this story as realistic as possible.**

**Now that that's out of the way, I just wanted to say thanks to Castaway5 for writing the guide "_How to Write an AR Fanfic that Doesn't Suck_".If you haven't read it, you should. :) It's really awesome.**

*** I know that since they're in Britain, they should be drinking tea, but coffee has a nice ring to it when writing about coffee in story's . Plus, I've noticed that most multi chapter fic in the Alex Ride fandom has coffee or tea in it at least once. Coincidence? I think not.**

**Please review and tell me what you thought. :)**


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